A lot of people have emailed in to ask what I make of the latest cleats on the market. So with the help of the lads at the club (Blackpool FC) I’ve decided to put together this monthly round-up. This is truly one instance when not having a boot deal helps!
Over the next year I will give you my 100% unbiased opinion about the latest boots. Here are the first four boots to face the test:
Nike CTR360 Maestri Football Boots
Personally I think the Nike CTR360 Maestri football boots are very appealing looks-wise. They also pretty comfortable and feature the asymmetric lacing system. To us footballers it can be important to have the laces are to one side, which gives you an increased surface area for controlling and striking the ball.
The upper is made of a synthetic material (Kanga-Lite), which can give the boots a tougher feel as opposed to the softness of leather. The biggest compliment I can give the Nike CTR360 Maestri football bootsis that our left back Stephen Crainey has been wearing Adidas Copa Mundials since he was at Celtic 11 years ago and he has now finally changed, choosing these boots. So that speaks for itself really.
Puma King XL Football Boots
The Puma King XL football boots are very much like the Adidas Copa Mundials in that they have been around so long and have their dedicated followers who will wear nothing else.
The new white and gold colourway looks the business and are made of the finest and softest leather giving you a great feel when controlling the ball. A very snug fit due to the APTOlast feature that moulds to the shape of your foot.
You won’t see many strikers wearing this cleat at a professional level and that’s because they are always looking for that little bit more, plus its easier to blame your boots for a missed shot than yourself!
adidas TUNiT F50i Football Boots
The adidas TUNiT F50i football bootshave gone one step further than the Nike CTRs by completely hiding the laces to once again give you a bigger surface area. I have worn the adidas TUNiT F50i football boots a few times and I have never liked the plastic feel that ‘sprintskin’ upper gives the boots.
The best feature from my point of view is the changeable studs. You have three options, soft ground, firm ground and hard ground. Unlike most boots where you have just the one set of studs, with these you can mix the studs to give you the perfect grip on those dodgy pitches. Our striker Jason Euell swears by them and he has been around long enough to know a good pair of football boots when he sees them.
Nike Mercurial Vapor V Football Boots
Soon to be replaced by the Vapor VI the Nike Mercurial Vapor V football bootsare still the flashiest boots around, favoured by skillful pacy players like Cristiano Ronaldo. The boots are very lightweight and thin making it a great speed boot.
The downside to the lightweight part is that they don’t offer much protection and you will definitely be able to feel every challenge (that’s if anyone can catch you). I find that these boots take a while to break in and can give you bad blisters on your heels. A lot of players are forced to cut the back of the boots to make them more comfy. I would say these are for a winger or nippy striker. You certainly won’t see me in a pair!
Other Recommended Reading
- Boot Room Banter with Dean Furman
- NIKE CTR360 Maestri – Ransacked
- Boot Wars Result: Ashley Cole vs Bacary Sagna
- Pro-Test: Professional Footballer Boot Review
About the author
I’m a professional footballer by day for Blackpool FC and a journalist by night so when Ransacker asked me to review some boots for them I jumped at the chance. Over the next few months I will be testing boots from the relatively unknown Concave PT+ to the legendary adidas Predator X. I hope you like my reviews and if you have any questions just let me know below.
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